Brahmagiri Peak

Region : Thirunelly, Wayanad Dist., Kerala
Height : 1607mtrs / 5272ft
Trek Date : 20th Feb'09

A trek to Brahmagiri was decided out of the blue…viz I had no intention or plan to go there in the near future…I had decided to go for CTC’s Vellarimala-Vavulmala trek on 21st – 23rd Feb trek for which I had to reach Kozhikode (Calicut) on early 21st Feb. As I could not get a train tkt to Calicut, the only option left was to fly to Bangalore and onward by road to Calicut (8-10hrs). Since I was taking this route, I thought why not add 1 more trek to the itenary. Hence the plan to Brahmagiri came up…

So I left on 19th Feb evening by 5.30pm flight reaching Bangalore at 715pm. Took a airport Volvo bus to MSBTC (Mysore Satellite Bus Terminus Corp) stand (approx 2hrs) reaching there around 9pm. Luckily got a Bangalore – Cannanore KSRTC (kerala state) bus departing at 9.30pm. My destination was Mananthavady in Wayanad. The bus traveled thru Mysore– Gundulpet-Gonnikoppa–Sultan Bathery–Mananthavady (7hrs) reaching there at 3.30am on 20th Feb. As there were no connecting bus to Thirunelly (base village for Brahmagiri) till 7am, I had to wait at the town square shivering in bitter cold. Not many trekkers trek to Brahmagiri from Thirunelly side…Most of the treks are done from Karnataka side (Kutta-Srimangala-Irrupu-Narimale Peak-Brahmagiri Peak : approx 14kms).

I took the 715am Thirunelly bus from Mananthavady (32kms) & reached there at 8.30am. I had already informed the Forest office about the trek and had arranged for a guide too. (guide is compulsory for all treks inside Kerala forests as per local govt. rules). Mani, the guide was there to receive me at the Forest Bungalow. After deciding the route to take, we started off on the trek…First, we walked up to Thirunelly Temple & from a nearby restaurant we bought our packed lunch (parothas, peas curry & bananas).

About Thirunelly Temple : Thirunelly temple, also called ‘Kashi of the South’ is 32 km northeast of Mananthavady. This ancient temple is 5000 years old and the presiding deity is Thirunelly Perumal/Lord Vishnu. Legend says that Lord Brahma the creator performed a yagna and installed the idol here. The idol is in the form of Chathurbhuja. This Kerala architecture style temple with the background of three hills, Kambamala, Karimala and Varadiga in Brahmagiri hills reserve forests is both beautiful and divine. The temple courtyard consists of 30 granite columns and granite slabs has been used for the floor too. One can see t he mighty Brahmagiri Peak towering behind Thirunelly temple.

I had visited the temple during the Pakshipathalam trek in 2007 so I avoided going there this time. As I had to take a return 4pm bus to Calicut, we speedily moved towards our destination. A path from next to the temple leads us to Papanasini rivulet. We pass by Panchatheertam (5 holy Theerthas joining together). We crossover the semi dry riverbed. As per Hindu customs last rites of dead are performed here. Whilst crossing the section we saw a family conducting the last rites austerities. We climbed further into the forest and reached a broad path (coming from the IB). This path goes upto the watch tower (approx 4kms). As the path would go criss-cross, we took alternate short cuts and climbed straight up reaching the forest tower in 20mins. It was quite a steep & exhaustive climb. We took a 10 min break at the forest tower. There are 3 routes to Brahmagiri from here. (1) A path emerging from the forest Tower on the left steepily takes one to the Peak -1.5hrs. (2) Taking the Pakshipathalam route deviate to the right after 2 small hills, walk on fireline towards Brahmagiri. (3) A steep 70% uphill climb thru tall grass just after the 1st forest patch after the forest tower. As there’s no water available on the peak and enroute, it was decided to refill our bottles at the small waterfall inside the forest patch after forest tower. After doing so, we took route (3) – right deviation and started the exhaustive steep climb uphill thru tall slippery grass. We steadily do so for 30mins reaching the hilltop. After a short break, we descend to a forest patch. The entire region is made up of shola grasslands with small forest patches here-n-there.

As the day heat is intense we take quite a few breaks and reach the fireline. The fireline is a huge broad path that runs thru the entire grassland. It acts as a preventive measure for fire to spread which is quite common in the Brahmagiri hills. The fireline here also demarcates the borders between Kerala and Karnataka. Hence part of the Brahmagiri lies and Kerala and rest in Karnataka….Anyways, from the fireline we can get clear views of the peak…Also a part of the fireline goes right upto the peak. Hence it is quite an easy route to find. We reach the base of Brahmagiri by 11.15am. The route from base upto the peak is very steep and inclined at 70% on most parts. The route is also strewn with loose rocks where one has to be careful to avoid casualties. Also walking on the burnt forest patch near route will obiviously spoil your pants, socks-n-shoes. Taking a mix-n-match careful route we reach the Peak at 11.45pm. What a beautiful view from up there. From the peak (facing Kerala side) one can see the Thirunelly Temple and surrounding areas below, and the forested peaks for Wayanad. Towards the right one can see the never ending shola grasslands of Brahmagiri, small humps like hills, Pakshipathalam Rock & Garudapara upto Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary. Towards the left one can see a long ridge (about 2kms long) starting just below the peak and extending up to Appappara (one can descend Brahmagiri at this side too). Well on the other side, one can see far stretches Kodagu region of Karnataka including Iruppu & Srimangala.

We decide to explore the entire peak hence descend the peak on the other side and moving towards the fireline reach the end of the peak in 1hrs time. This is the Appapara side of the peak. One can descend below to Appapara from here. However as I had left my sleeping bag at the Thirunelly forest bungalow we decided to opt of descending to Appapara. Anyways it was lunch time and the Parothas and Peas Curry were absolute relishing. A quick lunch, followed by some resourceful conversation about the surrounding forest and region, and a peaceful half-hr siesta atop the peak rejuvenated our strengths for the retun trip.

We started our return trip at 2pm from the ridge endpoint and by 2.45pm reached the peak again. From the peak instead of our ascend route, we decided to descend thru route (1). A route on the peak descends on the left straight to the watch tower. It’s a steep descend nevertheless a speedy one and will take one upto the watchtower in 20mins. We reach the watchtower at 3.10pm. From the tower we take the jeep track right up to the Forest Bungalow (approx 4kms) bypassing Thirunelly Temple. After a quick-n-refreshing bath at the Forest bungalow dormitory, Mani drops me at the nearest bus stop…I thank Mani for his guidance and take off in the 3.45pm Mananthavady bus. Further-on take a connecting KSRTC bus to Kozhikode (Calicut) via Kalpetta, Vythiri, Tamarassery & reaching there around 8pm. Am dead tired as I had been traveling from Bombay the previous day and the trek. I took a room at a boarding lodge near the KSRTC bus stand so that I could take enough rest for the CTC’s Vellarimala-Vavulmala trek the next day.

It was a great feeling finishing off the surprise Brahmagiri trek, which was not planned et’all. Also it was a great preparatory trek for the forthcoming tough Vellarimala-Vavulmala trek. Looking forward to four days of strenuous trekking out of which day 1 is over….

Way to go…Dinesh!!!

You can also check out this Brahmagiri trek report at www.hikesandtreks.com/brahmagiri

For trek pics visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/75454952@N00/sets/72157614671223729/

Lone Dravidian…
Keeps Trekking

Vellarimala & Vavulmala Peaks

Region : Annakampoyil, Kozhikode Dist., Kerala Trek Date : 21st to 23rd Feb'09
Let me start by writing about my quest to do this trek. For the past 3 years I have been trrying to gather information on vellarimala but to no avail. Then I came across ‘Jose’ reference on sandeep unnimadhavan’s website….But Jose was too a tough nut to crack or bargain with..He quoted an astronomical cost for the trek & I thought that it was cheaper to fly in space. In vain, I lost hope of going to Vellarimala and then Voila!!! Got a mail from CTC (chennai trekking club) announcing their trek to Vellarimala & Vavulmala and that too at a down to earth cost.

About Vellarimala–Vellarimala(1930m/6333ft), adjoining the Wayanad ranges, is one of the most beautiful hill stations in Kerala. Vellari - with its unique geographical position, gorgeous waterfalls, thick forests shrouded in mist and unique flora - is fast becoming a popular trekking destination. Vellarimala forms a part of a high hill range of what is otherwise known as Camel's Hump Mountains, a part of the Western Ghats. Most of the hill range falls in the Meppady Forest Range of South Wayanad Division with some parts falling Thamarassery Range of Kozhikode Division. They are semi-contigous with Nilgiris or in separated by the Chaliyar Valley. The plateau of lies on the eastern slopes of these hills and merges gradually with the Mysore plateau. The hill ranges are accessible by foot from Muthappanpuzha, near Anakkampoyil, a small town about 50 km from Kozhikode. About 6 km by foot from Muthappanpuzha on the way to Vellarimala hills is the waterfall called Olichuchattam.This block of compact high mountains is floristically and faunistically similar to the Nilgiris Hills. The mountain terrain also resembles a South American rainforest.

Vavulmala(2340m/7678ft). The tallest peak in this range, is also the tallest in the Western Ghats to the south of Nilgiri Hills.

Trek Route: A 9km tough and strenous trek amidst bountiful nature,through Muttapanpuzha route from Anakkampoil will get you to the hill top. In a trek from this route one needs to climb an altitude from 450ft to approx 6300ft...Anakkampoil is approximately 50 km from Kozhikode via Thiruvambady and is linked by Kerala State Transport Corporation bus services. The peak can also be approached from Chooralmala village, Kalpetta on the Wayanad side and is supposed to be a moderate climb.

Day 1 : 21st Feb (9 kms) The trek was fixed for 21st Feb to 23rd Feb. Since this trek was supposed to be a tough and strenuous one, CTC had screened all the members thru a basic fitness test so that casualties could be avoided. After a long and streneous Brahmagiri trek on 20th Feb, I managed to reach Kozhikode from Mananthavady, Wayanad well in time for the trek.

The CTC team arrived in Kozhikode by Chennai-Mangalore express and the rest of the trek members from Coimbatore, Bangalore & Calicut all assembled at Kozhikode railway station on 20th Feb 4am. From start point we were supposed to reach the base camp Muttapanpuzha near Annakampoyil (Kozhikode Dist) by 6am. However, our contract bus arrived an hour late so we left the railway station at around 6am and reached Muttapanpuzha by 9am. Enroute we stopped at Pullyampara for Breakfast. One of the buses that we were travelling in gave umpteen problems, nevertheless inching our way through we reached our destination. At the start point we loaded our sacks with all essential stuff and food (maggi, mtr, fruits, rusk, water, glucon). We met our guides – Jose, Mani and 2 others (total 4). Gosh! It was the same Jose with whom I had negotiated earlier for the same trek… Anyways, could not help it now…He gave a short briefing in Malayalam incl. the DO's and DON'TS on the mountain. As if we were he was the sole authority on Vellarimala.

We started our trek at around 10am. Passing by a cluster of houses, we crossed couple of banana plantations and started our climb. From here a distant view of Vellarimala could be seen…sheer Amazonian look-alike forest terrain….Our first halt was at Olichuchattam (4km). The entire strong 61member CTC marched into the woods and steadily climbing reached Olichuchattam at around 1230pm. The entire climb route was thru woods, also strewn with elephant and bison dung thus signifying their prominent presence around. We rested for a while at Ollichuattam. Olichuchattam is a huge rock where water falls on a 85-90 degree gradient. Its difficult to reach the falls at this point. The only water source here is a tricklet on a rock portion which is just before the entry to Ollichuattam. We refill our bottles here and climb further on and reach the upper portion of Ollichuattam. Ollichuattam to Vellarimala top is about 9 kms. We cut across at this point to the opposite side and climb further on…the route started getting steeper and slippery and thru dense vegetation. Many of us slipped and grappled to gain ground. However, everyone kept climbing in high spirits. I’d say pure passion and zeal overcomes all…

We reached Damodar Koli at 1.30pm. After a quick lunch we proceeded further on…all of us were dead tired and took several stops during the climb but since our ultimate aim was to reach Vellarimala we push our strengths to the teeth and finally reached their 5.15am. We had climbed an approx altitude of 5900ft (viz from approx 450ft at base to 6300ft on Vellarimala top).
We setup our camp in an open area and soon a campfire was lit…Teams were formed to fetch water and firewood. Nearest water source was 2km away. Meanwhile kitchen was set and the menu for the evening was Maggi noodles and soup. The weather turned chill and by 7pm we were in our woollens. All being so hungry and tired we eargerly savoured the hot maggi and soup. At the campfire there was a session comprising of Tamil, Hindi and Telugu songs and later an acrobatic display of fire jumping by select CTC daredevils. By 9pm everyone starting crashing onto their sleeping pods cuddling away into their sleeping bags and blankets….Soon the atmosphere was so serene & tranquill. The stars above shone in abundance as if they were in full attendance.

Day 2 : 22nd Feb (Approx 3kms) We woke up around 7am. After refreshing ourselves we were all ready for the ascent of Vavulmala. It was decided that 3 people will share 1 bagpack so as to make the climb easy and comfortable. We left our campsite at 9am and moved into the woods. After a brief climb mostly thru shaded area we reach Kethampara. Kethampara is a huge rocky portion enroute to Vavulmala offering excellent vantage views of the ranges. We could see Mastakapara portion of Vellarimala and mountain ranges of Wayanad in a distance getting sunk in a sea of clouds. After a brief photo session there, we moved on again into the woods, reaching an open area in half hr. This is RECPara. This is the last water source point. The rocky portion of Vavulmala looks close from here. We again enter the forest and steadily climbing and wading thru the thicket reach a portion just below the Vavul peak. Again a brief session of photography follows and we spend about 15-20mins here. Now that the peak was so close, we did not want to waste time. Again we entered the forest thru a small thicket, & climbing further on all 61 members triumphantly reached the top of the Vavulmala at around 1130pm. It was a jubilant mood amongst all. We reached the edge of the vantage point to appreciate the great views. We were on top of the world….even above the clouds….The clouds were repeatedly engulfing the high peaks and therefore we could’nt see much of the plains. We could see miles-n-miles of distant peaks, most of them unknown….However could identify Chembra Peak due to its shape (and also because I had been there earlier). I still remember having a faint view of Vavulmala from Chembra and now it was vice-versa…After a major photo session including group photos and a quick luncheon we started our return. This time we returned through a different route upto RECpara viz instead of the traverse climb route that we took a downhill path & descended straight down from Vavul to RECpara thru the forest patch reaching the campsite around 3pm. At the camp it was decided that whosoever was interested to descend that evening upto Olichuchattam could do so and whosoever wanted to remain on top and visit Mastakapara could do so. About half the group (who were not interested to visit Mastakapara) started their descent, while we moved onto visit Mastakapara.

From the campsite, we reached our watersource (2km), crossed the same and steadily descended thru the forest for about 45mins. We reached the edge of Vellarimala. Here instead of climbing straight uphill to go on the other side, we traversed from the left slightly getting into the forest and out into an open area. We took right turn here and climbed onto a sloppy rock portion and reached Mastakapara by 430pm. Here to the entire region was engulfed with clouds and mist so we could'nt see much….But people enjoyed their brief stay there with great gaiety. Some were relaxing on the edge whilst some were showing off their acrobatic or rather yogic skills….After spending about an hour there, we decided to return back…this time again thru a new shorter route…We reached the campfire around 6pm. Meanwhile, some of those who had opted out of the Mastakapara trip tried their culinary skills and so lucky we were to be treated to a sumptuous session of maggi noodles followed by MTR savoured (tomato rice, sambar rice, bisebelli bath, pongal rice) and hot soup. This night too, a campfire session followed but on a much lower scale since half of the group was missing. The cold winds started blowing and by 8.30pm the weather was quite chill enough for us to tuck ourselves into our sleeping bags. Gazing towards the sky, I wished the stars a very good night or probably the last night I would see so many of them. We had an early morning wakeup call at 5am since we had to reach basecamp before noon.

Day 3 : 23rd Feb (9 kms) We all woke up at 5am but since it dark, we waited for the first light. By 5.45am the entire campsite was bustling with people- packing their bags, collecting waste, etc etc all ready to leave…I guess it all seemed like a sheer desperation to return to civilization. We started our descent at 6.30am. Since the terrain being uneven and steep and that too through the jungle we carefully descended, but not too hurriedly,,,,so as to avoid any untoward incidents in the last stage. Enroute, we took a short break on top of Olichuchattam and then on a straight descent to the base village….We reached Muttapanpuzha at around 9.30am. Jose had already organized some breakfast for us . There’s a stream flowing behind the house where we had kept our luggage…All those who reached early there got a chance to refresh themselves at the stream…A well deserved treat…Meanwhile, me, Vinod Varghese and Sreekumar moved towards Muttapanpuzha main road to co-ordinate with the bus that was supposed to take us back to Kozhikode. Upon arranging the bus, we 3 proceeded to the Muttapanpuzha rivulet just behind a local’s house. The bath seemed absolutely refereshing and heavenly. We stayed there for about half hour and returned back to the bus pickup point. By this time all had reached the base. We started our return and enroute to Kozhikode stopped by Pullyampara for lunch (we had breakfast at the same place on 21st Feb). People gorged on fish curry rice, fish fry, beef curry, parotha, icecream, juices and what not….They were ready to eat anything and everything…After a sumptuous-n-burpy kerala meal we slept our way through the journey to Kozhikode reaching the station at around 4.30pm. It was time for parting ways and after biding goodbye and thanking all for their great support and teamwork, I proceed to the KSRTC bus stand. Took a 7pm bus to Bangalore, reaching there at 3am following day. Took an immediate connecting bus to the airport and a subsequent 7am flight reaching Bombay and further-on home by 9.30am.

It had been a great trek with lots of memories for all of us. We all had a triumphant and jubilant feeling about the trek…I am sure that upon arrival in Chennai the CTC team would have also got a rousing welcome and applaud from fellow Chennaites as equal to A.R.Rahman. Though there’s no such official confirmation about this….

As for me, I added another feat, trek into my adventure cap thanks to CTC….A personal good feel factor was that it was indeed a pleasure to listen to my favourite smooth jazz song - Joyce Cooling’s ‘Before Dawn’ on top of the world!! JAI HO!!!

The above page is also available on my trek website at : www.hikesandtreks.com/vellarimala-vavulmala
For trek pics visit : http://picasaweb.google.com/dineshnairtreks/VellarimalaVavulmalaFeb2009#

Dinesh Nair

Keep Trekking....

Baglan Trek : Mangi-Tungi, Mulher-Mora, Salher

Region : Baglan Range,Nashik Region, Maharashtra
Trek Date : 24th-25th-26th Jan'09

Have been looking forward to doing a trek in the Baglan range of Maharashtra since 2008 however, things never fell in place. After a successful Velliangiri trek in Nov’08, it was time to do a cross country trek this Jan’09. Ajay from Bhramanti was planning a trek to Mangi-Tungi and Salher in Baglan range around 24-26th Jan’09. So I & Dharmesh decided to join him for the trek. We were 4 in all – Ajay, Shilpa, Dinesh & Dharmesh. The itenary was fixed and we set off for our destination leaving Mumbai on 23rd night 11pm by Ajay’s car. Ajay drove the entire route : Mumbai – Nasik – Satana – Tahirabad – Mangi Tungi.. We reached Bhilwadi (the base village) for Mangi Tungi at around 7am. Mangi-Tungi is a part of the Baglan – Selbari range (Nhavi, Tambolya, Mangi & Tungi).
Mangi-Tungi (Mangi – 4443ft/1354m) & Tungi – (4366ft/1331m)
About Mangi-Tungi is a prominent twin-pinnacled peak with plateau in between, located near Tahrabad about 125 km from Nashik. Mangi, 4,343 ft (1,324 m) high above sea level, is the western pinnacle and Tungi, 4,366 ft (1,331 m) high, the eastern.There are numerous temples and is considered sacred by boths and. It enshrines images of Jain aras in several postures including and kayotsarga. Sometimes, it is described as Siddha Kshetra, meaning a gateway to the state of enlightenment. Around 4,500 steps lead to the foot of the peak, which is enriched with several monuments of historical and religious prominence. A grand fair is held here annually during Kartik (September-October) where Hindus and Jains visit in large numbers to witness the grand rath yatra.
Mangi Giri: There are seven old temples on this hill and so many images of feet of saints are installed here. A pond is here named Krishna Kund, it’s a witness of the last days of Lord Krishna. His elder brother Balram also practices here for presence and achieved fifth heaven. Here is a Cave named Balbhadra Cave where idols of Balram and many others are installed. Tungi Giri: There are five temples on it. There are two caves are named on Bhagwan Chandraprabhu, the 8th Teerthankar and other is Ram Chandra Cave. Ancient idols of Hanuman, Gava, Gavaksha, Neel etc. are here. In one cave there is an idol of Ram’s chief of army Kritantvakra in the stage of ascetic saint. On the path between Mangi & Tungi Hills to cave down, here are two Caves of Shuddha & Buddha Munies (ascetic saints), a Colossus of Bhagwan Munisuvrat Nath is there in Padmasana (a posture with cross legged seating). Lord Bahubali and other’s idols are also there. Many idols on both the hills are carved on the rocks. Beautiful attractive images of Yaksha & Yakshini (God & Goddess attending to Teerthankaras) and Indra (The king of heaven) are also carved here.

After refreshing at the shrine complex in Bhilwadi, we proceeded to climb Mangi-Tungi. There’s a Jeep track leading from behind the village upto Mangi Tungi (1/2 km). We walked down the path and started our climb at around 9am. The hill looks gigantic with the two towering pinnacles. Proper steps leads up to the pinnacles. As there’s no vegetation on the mountain, it was pretty hot during the climb. We reached the top, where there’s a huge gate. Left route leads to Mangi and the right goes to Tungi. We took the left and proceeded to Mangi first. From the gate, we climb further on traversing the hill and reach the top of the hill / base of the Mangi pinnacle. We circumvent the pinnacle where one can find proper well constructed caves housing statues of Mahavir and other Jain deities. One can view the hills of Tambolya & Nhavi (Ratangad) fort in a distance. Further-on one can see the range of Muher, Hargad & Salher-Salota. We return back to the gate and proceed straight to Tungi. As we traverse along the hill (below Mangi), we reach a prominent long ridge leading all the way to the Tungi pinnacle base. Enroute on the ridge we pass an old broken marble temple and reach a newly constructed small house (currently locked) which serves as a mediation centre. A flight of steps from here takes us up to the Tungi pinnacle base. The steps are so beautiful and gives us a feel of climbing up into the sky. Again we circumvent the Tungi pinnacle where too we find a lot of Jain temples constructed during medivial times. The views from Mangi-Tungi are simply awesome and mesmerizing…the dark brown landscape with various hills and forts jutting out on one side and miles-miles of plains on the other. We return back to the common gate and descend the mountain reaching the base ashram by 1pm. After a much relishing satvik jain lunch at the Ashram, we drive down to Mulher village for our next trek – Mulher & Mora.

Mulher Fort – 4284ft/1306m
About Mulher - The Rathod dynasty of Bagul ancestry reigned Baglan between 1310 and 1638. Mulher fort was their capital. The Mughals then gained control of Baglan. For the Surat forays of Jan 1664 & Oct 1670, Shivaji Maharaj had followed the route passing through Baglan to reach Surat. On the first occasion, the entire region from Pune to Surat was under the command of the Mughals while on the second occasion, Baglan was mainly under their control. The Mughals chased Shivaji Raje on his return journey but they were defeated in the Kanchana Pass. Soon after this, Shivaji began a campaign in this region. In Jan 1671 the first assault brought the Salher fort under the Maratha rule. They then attacked Mulher fort but the Mughal Killedar repulsed the attack. However, the Marathas captured the Chaulher fort. In Oct 1671, the Mughals laid seige to Salher fort. But Shivaji despatched Moropant and Prataprao to break down the seige. They not only lifted the siege of Salher, but also attacked Mulher and captured it in Feb 1672. This feat resulted in the assimiliation of the entire Baglan region into Swarajya.

We reached Mulher village after a 45mins drive from Bhilwadi. Mulher village has some ancient wood ornated houses which still gives you the 16th-17th century feel. Passing thru the village we proceed to a point where the road diverts to the left and a straight dirt track leads to the Mulher fort base. We pass thru fields and start climbing the 1st ridge. Moving straight up the rocks we reach semi-dense cacti vegetation and climb zig-zig thru a route amidst the vegetation. Enroute we pass thru 3 broken gates – Fortifications (entrances) finally reaching the machi area. The machi section is huge. First we reach Ganesh Temple which has a lake besides it. About 15 people can be accomadated here. The Temple is encrusted with beautiful sculptures and carved ceiling. A stone pillar stands in the centre of the lake. Hargad fort can be seen in the backdrop of the lake. The water here is not potable. A route on the left leads to Someshwar Temple which has been refurbished. The routes here are a bit confusing due to the dense vegetation on the Machi. Behind the Ganesh Temple a path thru the thick undergrowth leads one to Ram Laxman Temple and adjacent to it the broken palatial ruins (Rajwada). We settle at the Ganesh Temple to spend the night. After a sumptous dinner (soup, soya kichdi, salad & papad) we call it off at around 9pm.

Early next morning at 7.30am, me and Dharmesh start our advent to Mulher fort. Just after the lake – we take the route moving right into the bushes. After about 5 minutes we reach a huge rock patch. Here we find 2 huge wate tanks that carry potable water. The bigger tank is called ‘Hatti Taki” and the smaller one on the left is “Moti Taki”. Steadily climbing further on past the water tanks we reach the a flight of broken steps. These broken steps lead us to the column between the fort. At this point one finds a Maruti Statue smeared in vermillion embedded in the rock. Route on the right traversing the fort would lead to a coloumn between Mulher and Hargad from where one can reach Hargad Fort. As we did not have much time to do so. We take a left and pass thru the several entrances. Just before the entrance there are 2 caves and some water cisterns next to the caves.

As we climb up the entrance we reach the fort top or Ballekilla plateau which is actually the mid-point of the fort. We pas thru a water tank on the right and reach remanants of broken palace. Just a standing gate is visible. Moving further on towards we reach a small temple of Bhadangnath entwined under a huge tree. A copper mask of the deity is installed inside the temple. After paying obeisance here, we move thru the grasslands to the edge of the plateau from where we can get a clear view of Mora Fort. To reach Mora from here we reach a chor darwaza just below the plateau edge. After coming out of the darwaza one reaches the coloumn between Mulher and Mora. The coloumn is huge and is fortified on both sides. There is a huge water tank here. A flight of steps carved out of the rock on Mora leads us to the Mora entrance.

After crossing the gate, we find 2 tanks. The fort is compact and naturally defended by perpendicular precipices. We climb further on thru the rocky steps passing thru the final entrance reaching the Balekilla of the fort. The top is quite small with a few broken fortifications. The view from top is superb – Nhavi, Tambolya, Mangi & Tungi can be seen from here. After a short stroll we return back to the Mulher-Mora column and descend the fort from this route instead of the ascend route which we took. The route is a bit slippery so one needs to be careful while descending. We reach the Someshwar temple in half hour and moving further on reach Ganesh Temple by 10am. After packing our bags we descend Mulher and reach the base village by 12noon. After a quick lunch at Mulher Village we proceed to Vagambe Village (17kms) for our next climb – Salher. We reach Vagambe Village around 1pm. The mighty forts of Salher & Salota can be seen just behind the village in a distance.

Salher Fort – 5140ft/1567m
About Salher Fort – Salher is the highest fort in Maharashtra and the second highest peak in Maharashtra after Kalsubai. In the annals of history, the references of Salher and Mulher run parallel to each other. In Jan 1671 the first assault brought the Salher fort under the Maratha rule. They then attacked Mulher fort but the Mughal Killedar repulsed the attack. However, the Marathas captured the Chaulher fort. In Oct 1671, the Mughals laid seige to Salher fort. But Shivaji despatched Moropant and Prataprao to break down the seige. They not only lifted the siege of Salher, but also attacked Mulher and captured it in Feb 1672. This feat resulted in the assimiliation of the entire Baglan region into Swarajya. Salher can be approached from 3 routes. Vagambe Village, Maldar Village and Salherwadi.

We start our trek around 1.15pm from Vagambe. Crossing the fields behind the village we climb the first ridge where we reach a huge mango tree. After taking rest, we proceed further traversing this small hill again climbing to reach on top of the hill. The weather is extremely hot. Nevertheless, we tiringly climb steadily. The hill converges into a huge barren ridge which connects the Salota fort. We reach a rocky portion of the ridge where we traverse from the left and move towards the base of Salota from were we climb to the right and reach the top of the ridge. Cutting across diagonally we taverse the Salota fort (keeping the fort to the left). There is a huge valley on the right. After about 15mins we reach a common coloumn between Salota and Salher. A route from here goes to Maldar village which falls on the other side of the twin forts. We decide to explore Salota first. Just after the coloumn a small track traverses on the left of Salota. We take this path keeping the fort walls to the left. Enroute we can see a rocky staircase on the Salota walls. However, we were unable to find the route to reach the staircase. So leaving the Salota climb for next time, we return back to the coloumn. From the coloumn we proceeded straight keeping the Salher wall to the left. Two small rock patches need to be crossed here with utmost care. The route moves on further till you reach a flight of broken steps. We take a right here, and climbing these steps reach the 1st entrance of the fort. The fortifications are in a crumbled state here. Soon after the gate, we take a U-turn and climb the huge set of steps moving upward on the hill. Passing thru the several gates we reach a mid point on the fort. From here we traversed the entire fort (keeping the fort walls on the left), passing thru several caves, again reaching a set of steps which lead us thru the final entrance. Crossing the entrance we reach a huge plateau. One can see the Ballekilla hillock here. Moving right further on we reach an artifical lake called Gangasagar. The water is mossy green in appearance and not potable. A stone pillar stands at the center of the lake. Adjoining the courtyard, just above the lake are 3 huge caves which offer good accomadation for huge groups. A temple dedicated to Renukamata is set next to the lake.

From behind the caves, we climb zig-zig and reach the Balekilla which is again set on a huge plateau. At one end is a small hillock with Lord Parshuram’s temple on it. The sunset and sunrise views from the temple are mesmerizing. This place is a vantage point and gives us clear views of the Satmala range (Dodap & Ikhara) and the Selbari Range forts of Nhavi, Mulher, Hargad, Mangi-Tungi. One can see miles-n-miles of land from this point. After sunset we return back to the caves. After a quick dinner (maggi) we retired for the day at around 9pm. Next morning, we packed our sacks and started our descent around 7.30pm. We descended on a quicker pace reaching Vagambe village at around 9.30pm. Ajay and Shilpa were waiting for us there. For our return to Mumbai we decided to take a different route this time viz. through Gujarat since we were very close to the border. Therefore we descended the ghat after the border & proceeded to Ahwa, crossing over the Dang tribal area, passing through Vagdai, Vapi, Manor, Vasai and reaching Malad at around 5pm & covering a distance of about 380km.

By the time I reached home, my legs had given away and pain was the only feeling I could get. Nevertheless, it had been such a good-n-awesome trek

To check out the trek photos please visit the Baglan trek pics folder in the photos section at www.hikesandtreks.com

Dinesh Nair

Keep Trekking....
www.hikesandtreks.com

Velliangiri....A Trek to God's Abode

Region : Velliangiri Hills, Konga Nadu Region, Tamil Nadu

Height MSL : 2240 meters / 7349 ft

Climb Height : 1200 meters / 3937 ft 

Trek Date : 28 Nov'08

======================================================

This is one of the finest or maybe the finest trek I have done to date...hardcore...it will take the guts out of you....no its not a dangerous or tricky climb...however, it will kill your power and strength by the time you summit and return. But upon return you would have attained BLISS, A NEW SELF CONFIDENCE, RENEWED WILL POWER and so on..

About Velliangiri : Kongu Nadu is situated on the western part of modern Tamil Nadu. It comprises the modern Coimbatore, Erode and parts of Dindigul Districts. Mount Velliangiri is the western border of this land. This place can be reached from Coimbatore town via Perur by road. Velliangiri is a part of Western Ghats containing natural herbs and all kinds of natural flora and fauna, can be enjoyed here. Here, on the top of the hill, under a natural cave, which is nearly 6000 feet above the sea level, Lord SHIVA is worshipped in the form of natural (Swayambu) Linga. This Linga is surrounded by adjoining four lingas. So it is named as "PANCHALINGAS". This cave can be reached after crossing seven hills. During the annual pilgrimage season, devotees in large number, throng this place day & night. The experience which one enjoys here can be compared with the "Amarnath Yatra" of the North. Here too, Lord SHIVA personifies in the form of Linga inside a natural cave. This place is also called a "Dhakshina Kailash", The pilgrimage season lasts for four months in a year (i.e) from February to May, corresponding to the Tamil month between Masi and Vaikasi.

I just managed to browse thru the net for my annual trek post Sabarimala pilgrimage which I do every November down south, and lo! I found Velliangiri or Vellingiri as some call it so... After gathering all the info from a few sites and from Harsha Bhatt, a trekker who had been there recently, I decided to trek to Velliangiri on 28th Nov'08. I took the 6.30am TNSTC bus from Coimbatore's Gandhipuram bus-stand and reached Poondi travelling a distance of about 40km, the base village for the trek. Just before Poondi Temple (last stop) is the famed Isha Foundation Ashram founded by Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev.(www.ishafoundation.org)

I reached Poondi temple, popularly known as the 'Arulmigu Velliangiri Andavar Temple' around 7.45am. It was cloudy, and mist covered the base village and the hills around...Finally, here i was ready to begin the trek...Upon making a few enquiries with the locals I was severely disuaded from doing the trek primarily due the following reasons - Raining atop the hills, chances of landslide, movements of wild elephants, chances of bear attack, slippery due to rains etc etc... As I was alone, I did not want to take any chances...I simply did not know what to do...I was utterly dismayed...Thinking of returning back to Coimbatore...I stopped by at a local tea shop and wait for the next bus to return...While waiting I just chanced upon asking the shop owner if I could get a local/guide who would show me the way upto Velliangiri...He replied in Tamil that I might get someone if I was ready to spend a few bucks...even though I could scantily understand Tamil, however I understood the money part and readily agreed to pay for the guide as this was a god-send chance...I had to wait for about 15-20mins as the tea-shop owner and the people working there were discussing on who will come with me. All of them refused. Later on I realised that it was not about money that they refused but I guess it was because of the ardent and tough climb that one would have to undertake. Umapathy, a thin frail guy emerged from behind the tea shop and he agreed to accompany me...we immediately departed.

Time: 9am. After paying obeisance to the dieties of the Poondi Temple, we started our trek from the steps which start from the Shivling on the right side of the temple. A never-ending flight of steps led us into the forest above and we went on climbing and climbing and climbing...I was in high spirits and after about an hour we reached Vinayak Temple which is on top of the 1st hill. It would be difficult to say that if one as crossed the 1st hill as most of the region is densely forested. After praying to Lord Vinayaka there we proceed further on...The steps were still there but each at a distance of a few meters. We reached our first water source. A small tricklet coming from the top...There is a Naga Statue here. Moving further on we ascended till we reached a flight of steps carved on a very huge rock portion of the mountain. Without the steps it would have been difficult to ascend or descend the mountain.

Moving further on together with a few stops we reached a clearing area after about 3hrs. Here we saw a trishul fixed to a rock...This was the first vantage view point of the region and yes we had indeed climbed high up...The view was mostly marred by mist and clouds. It was 12pm and without wasting any more time, we proceeded hastily towards our destinationCrossing the 4th,5th hill we steadily climbed the 6th one and descended the same into the forest. Here there's a small pond, supposedly sacred...A dip in the water was much needed however there was just ankle deep water so we decided to wet our feet and let out the tiresome, haggard feeling and prepare for the final climb. After spending about 10mins there, we moved on, crossing a small thicket and started the final climb. Enroute we got to see huge boulders / rocks precariously jutting out of the ground. There are a few abandon huts here. Umapathy told me that the huts turn into busy shops during Jan-Mar when devotees come here for their annual pilgrimage. As we moved on, we found two very small temples and a couple of trishuls placed by devotees... Now the peak was so close, yet we were finding it daunting and tiresome to reach the top. We took a few more stops and finally reached the top at around 2pm. 

And lo! what a view..The surrounding atmosphere is so serene and tranquil. Only peaceand silence prevails. ..I could call it by different names - 'Heaven on Earth', 'A Place in the Clouds', 'God's Home'. The view - mesmerizing, breathtaking, fabulous and what not...Only if I had an English dictionary with me.... There are huge rocks/boulders on top. How these boulders manage to stay there is a miracle.

We entered thru a overhang where there is a small Vinayak (Ganesh) statue. On the opposite side
there's a andi statue. Umapathy said that the mountain and the peak was very sacred hence I should remove my shoes and so I did...We moved past the overhang and reached the cave which is perched in the rock...The cave housed the Swayambu Lingam with Nandi. At a time 3-4 people can sit in the cave. We got into the cave and after praying there, moved on circumnavigating the peak and reached a cross section between 2 mega-boulders.Here we were greeted by 3 Shaivite Sadhus who are undegoing their 48-day penance on the peak. Actually there were 5 of them in all - 2 sleeping in the cave. They were most cordial and since it was mid-noon we were offered black coffee followed by the most delicious porridge (kanji) with lime pickle. 

The sadhus were staying in a cave like area which I guess was the huge space between the boulder and the ground. As I mentioned earlier, how the boulder has been there in such a position should be termed as a miracle. Inside the cave, the sadhus have made their humble sleeping arrangements, kept their food reserves and most importantly the sacred light (diya) alive which they plan to keep till the time they are there. On a clear day, one can get a better view of the Valparai Mountain, Attapadi (Kerala), the Siruvani Dam, Lake and the filter plant (main water supply to Coimbatore). After clicking a few pics on top and thanking the sadhus for the lunch we started our descent at about 2.30pm.

Enroute we got some better pics since the clouds and mist had now cleared. The descent seem to be never ending. My legs had given away and I must say that I was going down just with the sheer intention of reaching Poondi. By about 5.30pm it started raining and we were completely wet. However, since it was getting dark we decided to move on and finally reached Poondi at around 6pm. I refreshed myself and thanked the Poondi Gods for taking care of us. Paid handsomely to Umapathy, my guide who most happily acknowledged what he got.

We reached the Tea Shop and Umapathy asked me if I could show the trek pics to the rest of the villagers there as he was too thrilled about the whole thing. My bus arrived at 6.30pm and I reached Coimbatore's Ukadam bus stand at 7.30pm following which I took the 8pm interstate bus to Pallakad, Kerala.

Umapathy said that a much regular visitor to Velliangiri would take 3hrs to climb and 3 hrs to return... It took me 5hrs to climb and 3.5hrs to descent. I would still consider this timeframe as a personal achievement, and I think most of the people who have been to Velliangiri will agree with me.

I will always remember the endurance and success of this trek...A sheer test of will power. 'Velliangiri is truly God's Abode - Heaven on Earth'....Hope to go there someday again...

Please read the trek report on my website : http://www.hikesandtreks.com/velliangiri

Clickthe following Link for Velliangiri Pics - http://www.flickr.com/photos/75454952@N00/sets/72157610953496242

Dinesh Nair

'Lone Dravidian' Keeps Trekking...

Chembra

Chembra Peak Tri-Trek Solo Expedition - Kerala
Region : Kalpetta Region, Wayanad Dist. Kerala

Height : 2100 mtrs / 6870 ftTrek Date : 12th & 13th Dec'07
After completing a tiring yet sucessful Pakshipathalam trek yesterday ie. 11th Dec, it was time for another ardous trek..this time to Chembra Peak situated near Kalpetta.

About Chembra : Chembra Peak is the highest peak in Wayanad, at 2100m above sea level. Chembra is located near the town of Meppady and is 14kms west of Kalpetta. It is part of the Wayanad hill ranges in Western Ghats, adjoining the Nilgiri Hills in Tamilnadu and Vellarimala in Kozhikode district in Kerala. Chembra peak is accessible by foot from Meppady. A heart shaped lake en route to the top of the peak is a major attraction. The lake is believed to have never dried up.

I had been trekking continuously for the past 2 days (Dhoni Hills & Pakshipathalam) + travelling about 200 kms between Palghat & Kalpetta towns...exhaustive & tired feeling....but now this was the trek that I was waiting to do since 2006....Trek & Night camping at Chembra. I had carried my 3-man tent for this trek.
12th Dec...my pickup time was at 10am, Pavithram my guide got the jeep and picked me up at 9am, brought all provisions (incl. chicken) enroute...and we reached the local forest office at Meppady. The route from Kalpetta to Meppady is quite picturesque, tea estates lined up on both sides of the road, far on the left we were circling Manikunnu hill and on the far right one could see the twin peaks of Chembra basking in the morning light.

After taking permissions, we headed towards Chembra Tea Estate which is situated at the base of Chembra...This is the only route to Chembra and our jeep climbed the narrow route precariously winding up thru the tea estate. We reached a point where there was no vehicle entry further and this was our trek start point. From this point one could see the forest watchtower (a white structure) on the edge of the tea estate. It was about 11am...After informing our driver to comeback at 8am next day to collect us, we started our trek....
Just after the no entry point, we took a left into the bushes and started climbing upwards...Pavithram was leading as he was aware of the area and the route...Apparently he climbs Chembra twice a week as he is a trekking guide...He says mostly its foriegners, and just a few Indians (mostly from Bangalore) who come to Chembra....He was quite surprised that me being from Mumbai had much info about the places around....Not surprising for me atleast as I belonged to Kerala but nevertheless you don't find much people from other parts of India coming to Wayanad just to trek.

Anyways, we climbed slowly, steadily reaching the lake in an hour's time... The lake is in the shape of a heart and is also called as 'Love Lake'. The water in the lake never seems to dry up....This is the place where we will be setting up camp after our descent back...Not wasting too much time around the lake we hit the path to the peak....
There are five levels or rather humps one needs to cross before reaching the peak.....We maintained good speed & reached the third hump where we decided to keep our sacks safely in the thick vegetation on the slopes of the mountain. We were awry of the fact that as there was raw chicken in my sack and there seems a possiblity of a wolf or a leopard getting a whiff of the meat & tearing my brandnew Northface sack apart for the same...However, taking all chances, we came back to our path and continued the climb, reaching the peak at 1:45pm.

The view from top is awesome and breathtaking. Lofty Peaks of Ambamala, Kurchilmala, Vavulmala, Manikunnu can be seen. The twin peak of Chembra though lower in height looks impreganable due to several vertical patches near the peak and also the thick forest patches surrounding the mountain. Most of the other peaks were also covered with thick forests....We could also see the core area of the forest which covers 3/4th portion of Chembra base.....The towns of Vythiri and Kapetta could also be seen at a distance though not clearly due to the noon mist.... It was very chilly on top of the peak inspite of the afternoon heat. After a quick photo session followed by lunch (dosas and vegetable curry) we started our descent at 2.30pm. Enroute we returned back to the slope where we had kept our sacks much to our delight no harm done...We reached the lake around 4pm.
After clearing the camp area, we decided to get water for all our chores....Though the lake holds enough water we thought that it might not be potable. Pavithram knew of a place where we could source good water, hence we proceed to fetch the same....About 200mtrs from the camp area we went past thru thick vegetation and reached a slope where there is a tiny stream. We filled our bottles, washed the chicken and brought back enough water required for cooking. We collected firewood and set up the tent (Sierra Designs 'Orion AST' 3 Seasons 3 Man Tent). This was the first time I set the tent with the rainfly. Rice, chicken & papad was on the dinner menu...Pavithram turned out to be an excellent cook and we had a sumptuous dinner at around 9pm. The weather turned out to be very cold and by 10pm we were fast asleep tucked away in our sleeping bags....

Woke up at 5.30am, Pavithram cleaned up the vessels while I dismantled the tent. The early morning view of the peak and surrounding areas was absolutely mesmerising. Strays of sunlight breaking thru the clouds and hitting the peak thus creating a collage of colours on the landscape. We cleaned the camp area and by 7am left the place....Enroute during descent we took several pics of the surrounding areas that were covered with mist. We descended and in about 1/2 hr reached the no-entry point. Our jeep was already there and we travelled back to my hotel in Kalpetta reaching in about 45mins.

I bid adieu to Pavithram, thanking him for the high team spirit and the wonderful trek support he had organised. As I had a flight to catch from Calicut, I packed my stuff in a jiffy and hurried towards Kalpetta bus stand, to take a express bus to Calicut, reaching there in 2hrs. The route from Kalpetta to Calicut is again, awesome. This time as I was travelling in the day, I could see several tricky hairpin bends enroute. But the bus driver drove with much ease and we did not feel the slightest discomfort. Alas, my flight was overbooked and I could not get a confirmed seat, so had to stay back there for an entire day....However, it was not so boring as I roamed the entire day around in the city watching the latest Malayalam movies and savoring the local fish curry & rice though expensive compared to mumbai standards.

In my amateur quest to trek in an around Kerala, I take this sucessful as a personal milestone. Many more treks are in the offing and I am sure will go back next year to do more.....
For Chembra trek photos please visit Photos Section at http://www.hikesandtreks.com/

Dinesh Nair'Lone Dravidian' Keeps Trekking...
http://www.hikesandtreks.com/